Chapter 3: The Signature That Wasn't Mine
For several seconds, I couldn't make sense of the photograph.
The document was an authorization connected to my apartment.
My full name appeared at the top.
My address was correct.
Even the description of the property was accurate.
But the signature at the bottom belonged to Alexander.
I looked up.
He was still standing beside the coffee table, holding the bank statement.
"Alexander," I said quietly.
He turned.
"Yes, Mom?""
"Did you sign this?""
I showed him my phone.
He took it.
His face changed almost immediately.
"Where did you get this?""
"Friedrich sent it.""
Alexander examined the document again.
"I've never seen this.""
Bianca moved toward him.
"Give me the phone.""
He stepped back.
"Don't.""
"Alexander, you're making a mistake.""
"Did you put my signature on this?""
She shook her head.
"Of course not.""
He looked at the document.
"Then why is my name here?""
Ewald suddenly interrupted.
"There's a perfectly reasonable explanation.""
Alexander turned.
"Then explain it.""
Ewald rubbed his forehead.
"The document was part of a preliminary financial arrangement. Nobody intended to sell anything without everyone's agreement.""
I looked at him.
"Then why does it contain a signature?""
He ignored me.
"These things happen during property negotiations.""
"Not with forged signatures," I replied.
Bianca slammed her palm against the table.
"Stop calling everything a crime! Nobody stole anything!""
I looked at the envelope still visible inside her father's jacket.
"Then return the money.""
Ewald hesitated.
That hesitation told me more than any explanation could.
Alexander noticed it too.
"Take out the envelope.""
Ewald frowned.
"What?""
"The €25,000. Give it back.""
Bianca stepped forward.
"Alexander, that money is for Dad.""
"No. It was mine. And I gave it to my mother.""
"You're humiliating us!""
He stared at her.
"You humiliated my mother in her own Mother's Day celebration.""
"Your mother doesn't need it!""
"That's not your decision!""
For the first time, his voice filled the room.
I had heard him angry before.
But I had never heard him speak to Bianca like that.
She looked stunned.
Then she turned to Lydia.
"Say something!""
Lydia slowly stood.
"Alexander, perhaps everyone should calm down. Your mother is getting older. Maybe she misunderstood some of these documents.""
I almost smiled.
It was remarkable how quickly my age became an argument whenever I discovered something inconvenient.
"Mrs. Weber," I said, "would you like to explain why your name appears on the company correspondence?""
Her expression froze.
Alexander looked at her.
"What correspondence?""
I took another sheet from my folder.
It was a printed email Friedrich had recovered from documents I had previously received.
The sender was Lydia.
The recipient was Bianca.
The subject line read: Apartment Arrangement.
I placed it on the table.
Alexander began reading.
The email was short.
Lydia had written that Ewald needed financial assistance and that Bianca should make sure Alexander understood how useful my apartment could be.
There was one sentence that made my son stop reading.
If Helga refuses, remind Alexander that his mother has always wanted him to be happy. She won't want to be the reason his marriage fails.
Alexander lowered the paper.
He looked at Lydia.
"Did you write this?""
She pressed her lips together.
"I was only trying to help my daughter.""
"By using my mother?""
"Nobody was using anyone.""
"Then why did you write that?""
Lydia looked toward Bianca.
Her daughter didn't rescue her.
Instead, Bianca crossed her arms.
"Because it's true. Your mother has always made everything about herself.""
I felt something inside me settle.
Not anger.
Not even sadness.
Just certainty.
"Bianca, do you remember the first Christmas after you married Alexander?""
She rolled her eyes.
"What does that have to do with anything?""
"You came to my apartment and told me you wanted us to start fresh.""
"So?""
"You asked me to lend you my wedding jewelry for a family celebration.""
She shrugged.
"And?""
"I gave you the jewelry. You said you would return it after New Year's.""
Alexander looked at me.
"What jewelry?""
I continued.
"It was a gold necklace, two bracelets, and a pair of earrings Karl had given me on our thirtieth anniversary.""
Bianca's expression became defensive.
"I returned those.""
"No, you didn't.""
"Yes, I did!""
I reached into the folder and removed a photograph.
It showed me wearing the jewelry at Alexander's graduation.
Beside it was a receipt from a secondhand jewelry dealer.
Friedrich had helped me locate the transaction after I discovered the necklace missing from my safe.
The sale date was January 8, three years earlier.
The seller's name was Bianca Weber.
Alexander stared at the receipt.
"Did you sell my mother's jewelry?""
Bianca's mouth opened.
Then she closed it.
"I needed money at the time.""
"You sold something she lent you?""
"I was going to replace it!""
"When?""
She threw up her hands.
"God, Alexander! It was jewelry! Not a house!""
I looked at my son.
He seemed to be hearing every word as though it were coming from a stranger.
He took a step away from her.
"Why didn't you tell me?""
"Because you would have overreacted.""
"It belonged to my mother.""
"And I'm your wife!""
There it was again.
The same sentence.
The same weapon.
Whenever she wanted something, she reminded him of his marital obligations.
Whenever I wanted basic respect, she reminded me that I was no longer the most important woman in his life.
But something had changed.
Alexander no longer looked at me as though I were the problem.
He looked at Bianca as though he had finally started asking the right questions.
"How much money did you take from me?"" he asked.
Bianca stared.
"What?""
"The €18,400. The money you transferred to your father. Was that the only amount?""
Ewald interrupted.
"That's enough.""
"No, it isn't.""
Alexander picked up his phone.
"I'm calling the bank.""
Bianca suddenly became pale.
"Don't do that.""
He looked at her.
"Why?""
"Because there are things you don't understand.""
"Then explain them.""
She shook her head.
"Not here.""
"Where, Bianca? In another room? On another phone call? With another version of the truth?""
Her eyes filled with tears.
For a moment, I thought she might finally apologize.
Instead, she looked directly at me.
"This is what you wanted, isn't it? You wanted to destroy my marriage.""
I stood slowly.
"No, Bianca. I wanted my son to have a happy marriage. I simply refused to finance your family's idea of happiness.""
Alexander lowered his phone.
"Mom, I'm sorry.""
I touched his arm.
"You don't have to apologize for loving someone, darling.""
He looked down.
"But I should have listened.""
I didn't answer immediately.
There were too many years inside that sentence.
Too many unanswered calls.
Too many Sunday lunches that never happened.
Too many times I had sat alone at my kitchen table wondering whether I had somehow become a burden to the child I had worked so hard to raise.
Then Ewald reached into his jacket.
He pulled out the envelope.
He placed it on the coffee table.
"Here. Take it.""
Alexander picked it up and checked the contents.
Some of the notes were missing.
He looked at Ewald.
"Where's the rest?""
Ewald's face darkened.
"Don't accuse me of stealing.""
"You took money that wasn't yours.""
Lydia grabbed her handbag.
"Come on, Ewald.""
They moved toward the front door.
But Bianca remained where she was.
She was staring at the document on the table.
The authorization bearing Alexander's signature.
I watched her carefully.
Because I had noticed something when Alexander first examined it.
The signature was real.
Not forged.
He had genuinely signed that particular document.
But there was something else Friedrich had discovered.
The document wasn't simply an authorization.
It was part of a larger agreement.
And the person who had prepared it had included a clause that Alexander hadn't noticed.
I reached for my phone.
"Alexander, before you call the bank, there's one more thing.""
He looked at me.
"What?""
I opened the photograph Friedrich had sent earlier and enlarged the lower section.
There, beneath the signature, was a reference to another property.
Not mine.
Not Alexander's.
A third address.
I recognized it immediately.
It belonged to Ewald and Lydia.
And beside the address was a handwritten note.
Security for outstanding debt: €96,000.
Alexander read it twice.
Then he slowly looked at his wife.
"Bianca, why was my name used to secure your father's debt?""
She didn't answer.
Instead, her phone began ringing.
She looked at the screen.
Her expression collapsed.
It was a number she clearly recognized.
She declined the call.
A second later, a message appeared.
She read it.
Then she whispered something I could barely hear.
"They've found out.""
Alexander stepped closer.
"Who has?""
Bianca looked at me.
For the first time since I had known her, she seemed genuinely terrified.
May you like
Then she said five words that changed everything.
"Your mother isn't the only one.""
